well we have that old MARK TWAIN gag, the coldest winter he ever spent was a summer in SAN FRANSISCO.Never a truer word was said when the fog rolled in w/the cold mist even down jackets were not enough....lw

We've got 96, feels like 107. Tomorrow they're saying 100. It's really demoralizing. My elderly mother is a prisoner in her apartment. I just bring in food and tell her not to go outside because she could basically die. (Well, I don't say it quite like that, but that's the gist.)

In talking about things back in the States, my kid commented: "Nice planet you're leaving me, mom. The country's going broke, the whole place is microwaved. What am I supposed to do? Put on a hazmat suit and go combing through the wreckage?"

What an incredibly sad a view of our country we will leave to our children. Your k. is far from alone. It seems a bit more powerful a sentiment then usual teenage angst. The young and old are the canaries in the coalmine. Civilization is to be treasured. It's is eggshell thin.

Huh? SDH and I are just barely getting out of our long pants and long sleeve shirts...I might even have to switch from thick leather shoes to flip flops if we get close to 120F. Not likely, as it's already on the downhill slope hereabouts; will be busting out the thermal underwear for the August chills to come. Low temps are predicted to nudge under 90F then.

If you don't mind a bunch of transient, ignorant, pretentious, uber rich people and no seasonal concept of time or holiday cheer, it's a blast. I'm eyeballing vermont but I have to wait for sanders to die because I couldnt live in a state with an avowed socialist representing it in congress. That just creeps me out. I heard there are pedophiles there too, which makes no sense because of the gun laws, you'd think they would all be dead by now.

Here near Frostbite Falls, we are getting a one day 'reprieve' today. Temps only 88, but dew point finally dropped out of the upper 70's and low to mid 80's where it's been since Sunday. Add to that nearly 8 inches of torrential rainfall since last Thursday - the rain was actually quite warm as it fell - only to amply feed the atmosphere, allowing our dew points to break all local records! A couple of days at 81 and Tuesday we hit a dew point of 84 with a heat index of 119!!! We have been in the upper 90's for a week, so even one day in the upper 80's with a dew point in the 60's is relatively pleasant by contrast. We return to 90's with heat indexes over 100 starting tomorrow.

I'm sorry to say to folks east of the Mississippi, brace yourself for a torrid, yet tropical week's worth of these kinds of days.

'The Big Sleep', 'Rear Window' and 'After The Rains' have been good distractions ( 'Nanook of the North' is still ready if needed). For tunes, we've been listening to Orchestra Baobab's 'Pirate's Choice', Harold Budd's 'Luxa', Tuu, Burnt Sugar's 'Night In Tunisia, Sort Of', Sam Cooke's 'Porgy and Bess' and Michael Hurley's 'Ancestral Swamp' - and of course, Martin Denny and Yma Sumac . . . as was once sung "don't fight it, you've got to feel it ... feel it". And from the Dead, the Dark Star > Spanish Jam > U.S. Blues from Miami 6-23-74, and several selections from the summer of '76 with those slow, languid versions that seem well paced to fit current energy levels. Those slow, early blues tunes from '66 and '67 also work well.

After all, six months from now - it is our fate - we'll be looking at a few feet of snow and temps well below zero - without any wind chill, therefore I keep telling myself 'be here now' . . . and be cool, fellow forumites - this, too, shall pass.

Ring, I meant that I'm trying to appreciate, in the moment, this historic tropical and oppressive heat and humidity. Because - as hard as it is to fathom these days - in three or four months, those numbing winter winds will be returning. Heck, only two and a half months ago - on May Day - we had cold winds and snow blowing across our still very frozen brown and white - tundra like - landscape.

Though I'll admit, it is difficult to function in this 24/7 sweat lodge / sauna - like atmosphere. Truly, lazy days of summer. Good luck with helping your mom cope.

Come to Northern England if you like. Our summer vanished a few weeks ago. Chilly, and buckets of rain. Down South (i.e. London) most of the first day of a promising England v India Test series was rained out (cricket).